


Imperialium Cinis

by TheLoneSurvivor



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: F/F, F/M, Love, Memories, Paranoia, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-11
Updated: 2015-07-11
Packaged: 2018-04-08 19:22:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4316769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLoneSurvivor/pseuds/TheLoneSurvivor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Courier survived it all... The battle of Hover Dam, the Sierra Madre, even the Capital Wasteland; but not without consequences. But she pulled through and made it out, until a former lover of hers showed up...</p>
<p>Imperialium Cinis is Latin for 'of imperial ashes'. Or at least that's what I've learned it meant.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Imperialium Cinis

**Author's Note:**

> This was a small idea that became something a lot more. The Fallout series has always had a place in my heart, and has always been something that calls me back.  
> This Courier is based off my first character, and what she should've done when the time came.  
> I've avoided stating her name so that you could yourself, but if you really must know, just ask me.

Sweat beaded on her forehead after a long day of walking under the baking sun of the Mojave. The sky was now showing a brilliant array of yellow, orange, purple and blue across the sky with the few stray clouds drifting by. Her steps were slow and weary, after they had been moving all day and the ones before. Her pack shifted and made a few noises as things inside were moved and crunched and displaced as her tread across uneven ground shook it.

Three weeks prior had been the events of Hover Dam. The Legion had been defeated with the help of the NCR, a few bots and the Brotherhood of Steel. They had all fought against a common foe that day and considered one another allies. She had defended the Brotherhood when the battle had been won, too. Her allegiance belonging to them more than the NCR. She was ready to fight the entire NCR as well to keep her Brotherhood friends from being captured and turned into prisoners. It was a fate she couldn't let them see.

While the NCR had been hesitant about releasing them, they had done so without any trouble, which the Brotherhood had thanked her for. It was nice to make friends with those who defeated the Enclave back in the Capital Wasteland. That was a memory she would never forget, the day that her best friend and lover had sacrificed herself for the well-being of many. She could never do that though, give her life for something like that. But, when she thought about it, she very nearly had already.

She looked out to the dying sunlight and sighed, before setting her eyes towards some of the lands beside her. She could make a decent camp up on one of the hills where no creature would bother her. With some effort, she was up at the top of a small hill that overlooked only a little of the Mojave. Her camp was all set up and she had a quick meal of some Banana Yucca, some Pork n' Beans, and a Fancy-lad snack cake to top it all off. With her belly full and the stars out, shining brightly to those who wished to look, she set in for another night in the desert that had become her home more than any other place she thought possible.

The sun was already blazing by the time she opened her stiff eyes and sat up from her small sleeping bag. A gunshot fired off in the distance and she shuddered, memories of the horrors that had happened at the battle of Hover Dam flooded her mind. The events shone clearly in her mind, hundreds dying and all for a plan that never saw fruition. But it was better that they lost and the temporary alliance had won out, or else the world would be painted red.

She shook her head, casting out the near-month old memories that stung like they were new. After packing up her camp, she set off on the road again back to the small little village that had been the beginning of it all; Goodsprings. She wondered how Sunny and the ol' Doc was, as it had been months since they last saw one another. Despite that though, she missed the people of the quaint little town and it would be good to visit them once again.

Just when she was beginning to enjoy the day, something caught her eye. A figure dressed in red with a hat that looked like something made of fur. It was only there for a moment before it vanished behind a ridge. Her heart raced, was it actually him? Could it really be him? She broke into a run, making her way over to the ridge in only a few moments and looked around it, but didn't see him. She shivered, a chill running down her spine as she turned mystified and continued on her way across the road.

Along the blazing road, she was surprised with finding so few things seeking to kill her, and it unnerved her. Another few gunshots could be heard in the distance, and she shuddered again as more memories shot through her mind. She had to get that worked on, just one more reason to go and visit Doc Mitchell. That would only be in a few days too, and she had just made it out of Primm. That battle had affected her a lot more than she thought it could. She had delved into old vaults filled with ghouls, went toe to toe with super mutants, and even survived the horrors in the Sierra Madre.

But nobody was invincible, no matter how much that seemed. Like with her lover... Ugh, more thoughts she had to shake from her mind. If the road went on for too much longer, she feared that she might go mad. The cracked pavement that had the very rare vine of vegetation that crawled its way across it, was blistering hot. More so than normal. The soldiers of the NCR were always complaining about wanting a nuclear winter, and frankly she was too.

It had been only a few hours since her last sighting of _him_ , and he showed up once more. Again, he was a dark figure with distinct armour and a hat she knew too well. Her heart began pounding, it feeling like it was a mechanical machine thumping away, never missing a beat. More sweat dripped down her face and she gulped unconsciously before she began walking at a quicker pace then before. She passed around a large rock, and once again was surprised to not find him. Why he was doing this, she didn't know, but maybe it wasn't him doing this... Maybe it was herself...

She shook her head again. “No, I'm not crazy, I know what I saw.” She mumbled, sure of herself even though her heart and stomach didn't agree.

The sun was going down not long after, her two encounters still lingering in the back of her mind, but not entirely noticed. She set up another camp with a small fire that roared out to the sky above that was littered with hundreds of stars. She reached into her pack, pulling out some Brahmin bacon and another can of Pork n' Beans. She cooked them both on the fire, and let the aroma of the bacon fill the air around her camp. The smell only made her hunger gnaw at her stomach even more than before.

Once it was done, she picked herself, and her meal, up and walked to the edge of her camp. She plopped down on the edge of the hill she had climbed, something she had learned from her time in the wastes, and began to think as she enjoyed her last on-the-road meal before she was in Goodsprings.

* * * * *

_She walked beside her lover, looking into her eyes and saw what she normally did; sadness. They had made it back from their time in the Pitts and lived through it; they left as soon as they could. She grabbed her lover's hand, holding it warmly which caused her lover to stop. “What's got you down?” She asked, a smile on her face that told her to be honest and that she would do her best to help._

_Her lover sighed. “What normally does; my father...”_

“ _You still really want to find him don't you?” She asked, beckoning her to sit down and have a rest._

_She nodded. “I do. It's been three years since he's gone missing, and I still have hope.”_

“ _I know you do. As long as that hope remains, we'll find him.” She said, determination in her voice._

“ _You think so?”_

_She nodded. “I know so, darling,”_

_She sighed wearily. “Thanks, it's great having you by my side.”_

_She smiled warmly, practically glowing. “I wouldn't be anywhere else.”_

_She chuckled at that, and kissed her passionately. Their tongues intertwining and hands embracing one another. A hand went from her lover's side and wrapped its way tightly around the small of her back, while the other went a little lower. She snaked her hand around her lover's waist and the back of her neck. They kissed deeply and savoured the sensation of one another. One hand of her lover's made its way from her back to her front and began going down her pants..._

“ _Hey!” She said, swatting the hand away. “Not now, alright?”_

_Her lover sighed and looked deep into her hazel eyes. “Then when would be a good time?”_

“ _When we make it back home,” She said, even as she realized the power of her own urges. The look of her lover's bright blue eyes only increased it._

_Her lover smiled and sat up, extending a hand for her as well. “Then I guess we better get moving,”_

_They both laughed as their pace quickened from before, another task in need of completion giving them a boost of energy._

“ _I love you, Liana,”_

_Her lover smiled. “I love you too,”_

_* * * * *_

She sighed at the blissful, and painful memories of her lover, Liana. She missed her so much, the hole in her heart had never fully recovered, and never would. Her meal was gone from her plate, and she was left staring up at the stars, watching them shine like Liana's eyes had when she was still alive in the world. The world was so harsh sometimes, but the memories she had before the fall... Those were the last things she had to give her happiness in the world. No amount of caps, ammo, friends, houses, or anything would make her as happy as she was with Liana. She knew that, and sometimes wished it weren't so.

She heard rustling from behind her and she swung around, getting to her feet in a moment, her hand on her pistol that rested at her hip. And there he was; standing on the other side of the camp. His mouth twisted in a devious smile, and a pistol at his side. She looked at him warily, glancing about the hills to see if he had anyone else with him.

He caught onto this very quickly, as he does everything else. “I'm alone, Six.” He said, his voice making her heart flutter like it had before.

“What are you doing here Vulpes?” She said, her hand falling from her gun to her side.

“I wanted to see you,” He said simply, taking steps towards her.

He walked over and kissed her, and she returned it passionately. She made to make it past his lips with her tongue, bit his lips were shut closed. She backed off with her tongue and broke from the kiss only a few moments later.

“I thought you were dead,” She said, taking a step back from Vulpes.

He shook his head. “No, it takes more than the loss at the battle of the Dam to kill me.”

She nodded, not wanting to say anything about it.

“I know of your involvement against the Legion in the battle as well. Almost everyone does.” He said, his voice irritated.

“Doesn't make it any more easy to say,” Six said, rubbing the back of her neck.

“I want to know why.” Vulpes demanded, his voice turning slightly hostile.

She bit her lip. “What can I say? I didn't want to see your Legion destroy the lives of hundreds of innocent people. I didn't want the sexist and horrible practices and laws of the Legion to be known on this side of the Dam.” She looked Vulpes dead in the eye, her breath quickening. “I didn't want your master to rule over these lands.”

“So that's why you turned your back on the hundreds of people who once looked up to you?” Vulpes asked, his voice turning more and more sour with each word.

“Looked up to me?!” Six asked, her voice going a little higher than necessary. “They never looked up to me! I'm a woman, and they would never do something like look up to me. I lived with them, and you, for five months! I know how they think...”

“But you had their respect, and you broke it by leaving and betrayal.”

“Then their form of respect is flawed. Respect lasts as long as one lives, and it is only broken by proving that you are unworthy of it!”

“You still have Caesar's respect though. He understands it the same as you do. But your betrayal will only mean that your head will be mounted on a pike for all to see when we cross the Dam.”

She snarled at him. “The Legion will fall before it ever has that chance! Once Caesar dies, you won't have a leader! The legate is only skilled in combat and war, and you are only trained in intrigue. Neither of you can properly rule the Legion, and he has no heir! He will die, and the Legion will shatter.”

“Even if the Legion falls, a new one will be made of Imperialium Cinis!” Vulpes shouted.

She smirked. “I never did understand your Latin bullshit,” She said through a brief chuckle.

“It means 'of Imperial ashes',” Vulpes sneered.

“But he will die soon enough. I know of his condition, and so do you.”

Vulpes glared at her. “You need to know your place!”

“And where would that be?” She shrugged.

“Kneeling,” He said, pulling out his gun.

She pulled out hers as well and fired a single shot, it pierced through his collar bone and she heard it snap. Vulpes grunted and fired off a shot of his own, hitting her in the heel. Her breath caught in her throat as the pain from the injury was recognized. She fired off a shot and it went through the edge of his stomach. He winced from the shot and returned fire, the bullet passing through Six's hand. She cried out and dropped the gun, only to find another bullet pass through her knee. His final bullet of the volley was fired and it went through the other knee.

She clutched her broken hand with her other, as she sank to her knees, her attention focused on Vulpes. He walked up close to her and let the gun rest in his hand at his side.

“That's better.” He said. “You finally know your place.”

She looked up into his brown eyes that flickered in the flames of her fire beside them. “You're no better than them; than any of the Legion idiots who know war and that only!”

He shrugged. “Not a problem that concerns me.”

She spat at his feet, coating one of them with her saliva. “Caesar's death will be,”

“Yes,” He admitted. “And it will be such a shame that you couldn't be the one to rule,”

Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

Vulpes sighed and rolled his eyes. “Isn't it obvious? Caesar knew that neither the Legate or I were up for the task of ruling over the Legion. That's why he was going to give over leadership to you,”

“I'd never rule over an army of terrorists, warmongers, history fanatics, and rapists!”

Vulpes' lips narrowed. “Then I see his foresight had been misplaced. Why don't you admit defeat and serve as a slave for the Legion, and maybe work your way back up to the position you once had? That's all the mercy I can spare.”

Six laughed. “No, I won't ever be a slave. Fuck you, and fuck the Legion.”

“Then I guess you have made your fate once more...” He said.

“I have. But I know one thing, and you do too.” Vulpes looked at her quizzically. “I'm three times the man you'll ever be. I've survived battles, the Enclave, the Wastes, and the Legion's armies. You've only done two of those. I've fought out in the open while you cower away in the dark. Don't even try to deny it, because you know it's the truth.”

Vulpes snarled and grabbed his gun from his belt and pointed it at her head. The scene looked too familiar for her liking, but maybe she would get lucky a second time? Another scar never hurt. He stared at her for a long time, and she closed her eyes, waiting for what he had to do. He shook his head at her, yet he knew that all her words were true. He then set his teeth in, the trigger on his pistol inching ever so slightly.

_Bang!_

**Author's Note:**

> For those of you a little lost on my Courier and why she died, I'll attempt to quickly explain: she hooked up with Vulpes and joined the Legion as a part of that. When she lived with the Legion, she learned just how brutal the Legion really was, and left, without Vulpes. She went back to the Brotherhood of Steel, having been a sister in their order years before she met the Lone Wanderer. So, she supported the NCR and Brotherhood in defeating the Legion, and Vulpes made sure she paid the price for her betrayal.  
> I hope you all enjoyed this story! Kudos, comments, and bookmarks are all very well appreciated as well.


End file.
